Don't panic in a pandemic
Amherst Web site provides information
by JILL SCHMELZER, Reporter
oncerns about the avian or pandemic flu, West Nile virus, hazardous weather and other deadly potential health crises or natural disasters have circulated in the media for the past few years, causing some people to worry.

The Town of

Amherst has taken a proactive approach to educate people and test for the viruses in the area, according to Jim Zymanek, director of Emergency C

Services.

Council Member Deborah Bruch Bucki has spearheaded a campaign to educate members of the community. A link to the Amherst Department of Emergency Services and Safety page explains the diseases and provides prevention methods.

Avian flu

Avian influenza, more commonly known as bird flu, is a disease found primarily in wild waterfowl - ducks, geese and swans. There are several strains of the disease, and highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) is a strand that has made many birds and some people sick elsewhere in the world.

H5N1, which is circulating in Asia, Europe and Africa, has not been found in the United States. However, other strands of it have affected birds in the area. These strands do not cause obvious illness, according to the Web site www. amherst. ny. us.

Domestic pets can be affected by the disease. To prevent this, do not let dogs and cats roam outside where they could be exposed to or eat the remains of dead wildlife. Routine testing in pets is not available, but if it is suspected that the animal has been exposed, contact a veterinarian immediately.

Currently, waterfowl, robins, sparrows, pigeons, crows and cardinals are being tested for the virus.

Although the US has not been exposed to H5N1, prevention tactics should still be practiced. For instance:

 Teach children to always wash their hands after playing outside.

 If picking up droppings, use a shovel, "pooper scooper" or gloves - never use bare hands.

 Swim at regulated beaches, where regular tests are conducted to make sure the water is not polluted from human, animal or farm waste, according to the Web site.

West Nile virus

West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause encephalitis or inflammation of the brain. It could also cause meningitis, which is the inflammation of the lining of the brain or spinal cord, according to the Web site.

Deborah Bruch Bucki Amherst Deputy Supervisor

West Nile is spread to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito. The bug gets infected by biting an infected bird. The disease cannot be spread by human contact. Most people infected last year had no symptoms. If they did, they experienced mild fever, headaches and body aches before fully recovering.

In other parts of the world, some people developed mild rash or swollen lymph glands. In some rare cases, particularly the elderly, the virus caused serious disease that affected brain tissue. In the most severe cases, permanent neurological damage occurred and even death, according to the Web site. The incubation period in humans, or the time it takes for symptoms to appear, is usually five to 15 days.

In August, two mosquito pools in Amherst tested positive for the West Nile virus, according to Erie County Health Commissioner Anthony J. Billittier IV.

The pools were located at Harlem Road and Kensington Avenue and at Transit and Klein roads. A crow also tested positive in South Buffalo.

A mosquito surveillance program has been installed throughout Erie County which adds larvicides to sewer receivers through standing water to reduce the total number of mosquitos in the area, Billittier IV said.

Illnesses related to mosquito bites are rare in Erie County. But if symptoms develop, such as high fever, confusion, muscle weakness, severe headaches, stiff neck or sudden sensitivity to light, seek medical assistance immediately.

Fewer than 1 percent of infected people develop encephalitis and among those hospitalized, fatality rates range from three to 15 percent. That means less than one in 1,000 people infected with the West Nile virus will die from it, the Web site stated.

How to prevent the spread of West Nile virus:

 Maintain pools by chlorinating and filtering.

 Keep pool cover drained.

 Maintain ornamental ponds stocked with fish, bubblers and fountains to prevent mosquitos from laying eggs.

 Change water in birdbaths and planters every three days.

 Remove used tires from property.

 Check window and door screens and repair if needed.

 If playing outside past dusk or dawn, wear a long-sleeved shirt and long pants and use insect repellant, according to the Web site.

If a dead crow is spotted in the area, contact the Health Department or the Dead Bird Hotline at 1-866-537-2473.

Pandemic flu

Talk of a pandemic flu has surfaced in recent months. But people have no need to worry yet because currently it doesn't exist. If one were to occur, it would be a virulent human flu that could cause a global outbreak, or pandemic, of serious illness.

Hazardous Weather

Although the area generally doesn't have to worry about hurricanes, tsunamis or wildfires, Amherst does encounter hazardous weather on a yearly basis. Just this past summer, a tornado touched down in Cheektowaga. Flooding has also affected power lines and closed streets.

Buffalo has the reputation of having significant snowfalls and high water conditions.

Although earthquakes are rare, the town is located to the west of the Clarendon-Lindon fault line, which experts have identified as having extensions that come close to the community.

The town is just as much at risk of a natural disaster as any other community. According to the Web site, the town has partnered with the state and Erie County to use the automated program HAZNY to assess the potential hazards. The top three risks the area faces are materials in transit, flooding and severe storms.

The Web site also has links to deer management and rats and rodent control. To visit the site, go to the Town of Amherst Official Web site, go to key word and type in "health."

e-mail: JSchmelzer@beenews.com